Best Electric Tea Kettle – Tea Pots Reviewed

Tea drinkers can be found around the world. It doesn’t matter the climate, hot or cold people drink tea on every continent. Heating the water in a pot works but is highly inefficient and hard to pour the water from. The design of the tea kettle keeps the hot air trapped thus heating the water more efficiently than un-lidded pots. They also have a convenient pouring spout, so scalding hot water will not be likely to spill and burn you. It is also advantageous to have a pot designated solely to heating water for drinking because it prevents contamination with grease and other food residues.

History of Kettles

The earliest kettles date back to Mesopotamia, 3500 – 2000 B.C. These kettles were made of bronze and most likely used for filtering water as their primary purpose. The first kettles that were made with the intention of boiling water were made of iron and placed directly on the flames of the fire. Just as in cooking pots, the evolution from iron to other metals, the tea kettle around the early 1800’s started to be made out of copper and later to steel. The design has remained the same, in general, since Mesopotamian times.

In the late 1800’s, electric kettles were introduced to the market as an alternative to a stove top kettle. In 1893, Crompton and Co, from the United Kingdom, was the first to feature electric kettles in the catalog. Electric kettles consisted of a heating element held in a separate compartment underneath the water carafe because it could not be immersed in water. This design was very inefficient, and stove top kettles heated water more rapidly. In 1922 engineer Leslie Large who worked for Bulpitt & Sons in Birmingham, England developed a heating coil that could be immersed in water. He encased the wires in a metal tube protecting them from the water. Because the heating element could be placed directly in the water, it heated the water with no heat loss and became more efficient than a stove top kettle.

Russell Hobbs, a British Company, in 1955 introduced a stainless steel, much lighter in weight than previous metals used, electric kettle. It was marketed as being fully automatic. The thermostat flexed as the water temperature rose. When it hit boiling it was so flexed that it would cut off the current, making this the first automatic electric kettle.

Benefits of Using an Electric Kettle

Large Groups – brewing tea for large groups you can have large quantities of hot water on hand for tea. One drawback is that it takes much longer for the water to reach the boiling point.

Different Types of Tea – not all teas do well with boiling water, 212pF. Black tea is more robust and is perfect for water at the boiling point. Green and herbal teas are much more delicate and need water temperatures much lower. What I mean by this is that if you brew delicate teas with water that is too hot, it will often give the tea a bitter taste. So if you enjoy different types of tea or delicate teas, an electric tea kettle with a temperature control is ideal for you and will save you having to watch the kettle.

Elevation – Unless you live in the mountains this is something you really don’t think of. People who live in the mountains will greatly appreciate an electric tea kettle that will shut off. The air is thinner in the mountains causing the temperature at which water boils to drop. It is much easier living in the mountains to accidentally burn your kettle by boiling the kettle dry. An electric kettle with varying temperature as well as auto shut off will keep your house safe and save the life of your kettle.

Kettle Brands

Aroma Housewares – founded in 1977 is based in San Diego CA and a privately held company building high-quality appliances

Capresso – established in 1994 introducing high-end Euro-style coffeemakers to the US. The name is a combination of “cappuccino” and “espresso”.

Cuisinart – owned by Conair Corporation. The company started in 1971 with a food processor. It has now become a widely respected name of quality kitchen appliance and gadgets.

Hamilton Beach – started with a drink agitator which was used in soda fountains in drug stores around America. Funny story is that the owner, Frederick J Osius did not like his name, so he paid two of his employees, Louis Hamilton and Chester Beach, to use their names. When the company sold, Osius was able to move to Millionaire’s Row in Miami Beach.

Proctor – Silex – was created in 1960 with the merger of Proctor Electric and Silex Company. They are known for making small electric household appliances such as; blenders, slow cookers, kettles, coffeemakers, food processors, irons, mixers, toasters, ice cream makers, deep fryers, can openers, hot pots, roaster ovens, and more.

Ovente – introduced in 1999 by TopNet, Inc as a distributor of local and imported merchandise. In 2009 Ovente began manufacturing coffee and tea products aiming to improve convenience, efficiency, and energy saving.

Secura – sold under SECURA and DUXTOP brands, Secura has been a leader in small appliance manufacturing in North America for years.

T-fal – owned by Groupe, SEB, this French cookware and small appliance company is named after a combination of TEFlon and Aluminium, Tefal was renamed to T-fal not to be confused with its product Teflon. It is most famous for creating the non-stick cookware.

The Best Electric Tea Kettles

1. Ovente KG83B 1.5 Liter BPA Free Glass Cordless Electric Kettle

Best Electric Tea Kettle for Safety $$

The Ovente glass electric kettle has a 1.5-liter capacity and brings water to a rolling boil quickly. It can reduce your daily electric use because it is 85% more efficient than stove top kettles. This electric tea kettle has an automatic shut-off, boil-dry protection, secure locking lid, power on indicator light, cool touch button and comfortable stay-cool handle all making it an extremely safe electric tea kettle. It comes in 8 fun colors, Black, Green, Maroon, Orange, Pink, Purple, Red and White, sure to suit the décor of any kitchen.

Cuisinart’s 1.7 Liter Stainless Steel Cordless Electric Kettle is super easy to use and allows you to heat and take to the table without having to unplug or carry with a dangling cord. You can even lift the kettle from the base for 2 minutes, and it will not shut off. There are 6 preset temperatures with one-touch controls and a blue LED indicator. It also has a 30 minute keep warm option for those visits with friends that may last more than one cup of tea. It has an auto shutoff and boil dry protection for safety.

3. Proctor -Silex 1 Liter Electric Kettle

Best Electric Tea Kettle for Individual Users $$

Proctor-Silex is long known for reasonably priced small appliances. The 1-liter size is perfect for small groups or individual servings. It comes with a detachable cord for easy pouring or to take directly to the table. It heats quickly and has an automatic shut off when the water comes to a boil. Perfect for any location you may get distracted, office, dorm or home, with boil-dry protection.

4. Ovente KP72W 1.7 Liter BPA-Free Cordless Electric Kettle

Best Electric Tea Kettle for Your Money $

Ovente has made our list twice. This 1.7-liter electric kettle is also cordless. The concealed water heating element protects it from mineral buildup. Slightly larger than the previously mentioned tea kettle and with all the same safety features, automatic shut-off, boil-dry protection, secure locking lid, power on indicator light, cool touch button and stay-cool handle.

5. Hamilton Beach 40880 Stainless Steel Electric Kettle, 1.7-Liter

Best Electric Tea Kettle for Quick Heating $$

Hamilton Beach is a strong name in small appliance manufacturing. This 1.7-liter kettle is a good size for medium gatherings or avid tea drinkers. You can heat water in record time with the powerful rapid boil system. The auto shutoff will keep you safe from boiling dry.

Electric Kettle Buyers Guide

While all electric tea kettles have the same objective of heating water without using the stove, they do not all function in the same manner, have all the safety features and several other things you should consider before selecting the right electric tea kettle for you.

As mentioned above you must first look at the elevation at which you live, the type of tea you intend to drink, and what about of water you need to eat at one time. Below we have gone into further detail how to then select the right electric tea kettle for you.

Heating Element – The reason the type of heating element is important is life of the kettle as well as maintenance. If the heating element is hidden, you will not need to periodically clean the coil to remove scale build-up. Both a hidden coil and exposed coil will perform equally.

Total Capacity – Electric kettles can vary in capacity on average from 1 liter to 2 liters. If you are using the kettle for individual use the smaller 1-liter model should suffice. Some people choose to use their electric tea kettle for other things than just water for tea. If you are going to boil water for soup, oatmeal or several people you should purchase the larger capacity.

Handle – Most importantly a handle should be looked at to see if it is non-slip and comfortable. You should also see if the handle will get hot when heating. All of these are important to prevent spillage leading to accidents and possible dangerous burns.

Speed – Speed will vary with the strength of the heating element as well as the capacity of the kettle. Most kettles average 3-4 minutes to reach water’s boiling point. Some models may be faster, saving electricity.

Mono or Multi-Temperature Settings – With the popularity of teas around the world expanding and understanding of different cooking temperatures for different teas, many kettles now offer multiple temperature settings. If you are just buying an electric tea kettle for black tea, that prefers water at boiling temperature, then a mono-temperature electric tea kettle should meet your needs and will save you some money.

Keep-Warm Option – Another feature appearing on newer electric tea kettles is the Keep-Warm feature. While this is not necessary it can be nice to keep water at the desired temperature anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 hour. This especially convenient if you have guests over and may want to have more than one cup of tea in a seating.

Minimum Water Level – Some of the larger capacity electric tea kettles may allow you to heat just a cup or two of water for those times you want just a cup. This will save you money by not having to heat a whole pot of water as well as save time.

Auto Shut Off / Boil Dry – While heating water for tea it is easy to get distracted. While stove top kettles have a whistle feature to alert users the kettle is ready, electric tea kettles do not. This is why auto shut off or boil dry is almost an absolute necessity on an electric tea kettle. It will not only extend the life of your kettle but also prevent a possible fire.

Spout – Spilling your boiling water is not only embarrassing it is extremely dangerous. Having a non-spill spout will prevent dangerous spills and possible burns.

Cord – Electric tea kettles are very convenient but not very elegant once the water is heated. Electric tea kettles allow you to heat your water and take the kettle straight to the table. Some of the kettles are not truly cordless but have detachable cords giving them the look of cordless when on the table. Having a detachable cord or a cordless electric tea kettle is also a safety factor. Without the cord being dragged around spilling is less likely to happen.

Conclusion

Research has shown that drinking tea can improve your health. The type of tea you drink can make a difference. Different teas have different cooking temperatures. Electric tea kettles can make tea making easier. Tea drinking can be an art as well as a very good time to relax. With an electric tea kettle you don’t need to watch the kettle and with some features like Keep-Warm and auto shut off you can just sit, enjoy our cup of tea and not worry about burning down the house or if the kettle is ready. Electric tea kettles also will save on your electric bill because they are more efficient than a microwave or stove top kettle.

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